The latest World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) champion was crowned this week in Northern California as Michael Persky took down the inaugural WSOPC Graton Main Event for $175,595.
The first-ever Circuit stop at Graton Casino & Resort ran Aug. 10-21 and consisted of 20 Circuit ring events. The $1,700 buy-in drew 616 entrants for a prize pool of $933,240.
Persky, a native of Novato, California, defeated Thailand’s Dan Sarasin during heads-up play as the runner-up was denied a maiden bracelet and took home $100,528. Meanwhile, five-time Circuit ring winner Jasthi Kumar finished third for $80,135 and New York grinder Benjamin Ludlow finished ninth for $16,868.
Read About Ari Engel’s Victories At WSOPC Graton!
WSOPC Graton Main Event Final Table Results
PLACE | PLAYER | HOMETOWN | PRIZE (IN USD) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Michael Persky | Novato, CA | $175,595 | |
2 | Dan Sarasin | Thailand | $100,528 | |
3 | Jasthi Kumar | San Ramon, CA | $80,135 | |
4 | Benjamin Underwood | Canada | $60,122 | |
5 | Paul Vlahos | N/A | $45,532 | |
6 | Zhengxiong Zouxu | Malden, MA | $34,890 | |
7 | Kurt Watkins | San Luis Obispo, CA | $27,055 | |
8 | Avenes Rastomyan | N/A | $21,233 | |
9 | Benjamin Ludlow | New York, NY | $16,868 |
Memorial First Stop At Graton
Persky was dominant at WSOPC Graton even before he took down the Main Event for his first ring and a career-best score.
At the start of the series, Persky finished 20th in Event #1: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Big 30K Stack for $1,077 before going on to finish runner-up in Event #3: $600 No-Limit Hold’em for $54,900. In that event, Persky fell to fellow Californian Albert Gorelik, who took home $88,888 and his second Circuit ring before winning Event #12: $1,125 No-Limit Hold’em for $30,004 and a third ring.
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And Persky wasn’t the only player to dominate at the inaugural Northern California Circuit stop. Longtime Circuit crusher Ari Engel picked up his 14th and 15th rings in back-to-back events to tie Maurice Hawkins in first on the all-time ring list, which PokerNews wrote about here.
Further shifting the all-time Circuit ring list, Daniel Lowery took down Event #13: $1,125 Pot-Limit Omaha for a 14th Circuit ring and $21,518, which can be read about here.
Those were hardly the only highlights. As the series wound down, Allen Kessler took down Event #15: $400 Stud 8 / Omaha 8 for $18,810 and his fourth Circuit ring after a decade-long drought. Before that, Southern California grinder Shirley Rosario won Event #8: $400 Limit Omaha 8 for $9,193 and her third Circuit ring.
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Other players who picked up rings at WSOPC Graton include Albert Tapia (Event #9: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Monster Stack - $40,950), Ian Mckinnon (Event #4: $400 No-Limit Hold’em - $25,323) and Taylor Pollard (Event #18: $3,250 High Roller - $60,641).
A full list of ring winners at the WSOPC Graton stop is available in the table below.
WSOPC Graton Ring Winners
EVENT | ENTRANTS | PRIZE POOL | WINNER | HOMETOWN | PRIZE (IN USD) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WSOPC Event #1: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Big 30K Stack | 364 | $120,120 | Maemm Patel | N/A | $25,277 | |
WSOPC Event #2: $400 Pot-Limit Omaha | 60 | $19,800 | Victor Paredes | Modesto, CA | $6,745 | |
WSOPC Event #3: $600 No-Limit Hold’em | 1,049 | $540,235 | Albert Gorelik | San Francisco, CA | $88,888 | |
WSOPC Event #4: $400 No-Limit Hold’em | 367 | $121,110 | Ian Mckinnon | Burbank, CA | $25,323 | |
WSOPC Event #5: $1,125 No-Limit Hold’em | 72 | $72,000 | John Kenner | Redding, CA | $23,136 | |
WSOPC Event #6: $400 Seniors Event | 202 | $44,888 | Aquil Salahudeen | Fairfield, CA | $15,920 | |
WSOPC Event #7: $600 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed | 109 | $56,135 | Roger Bailey | Modesto, CA | $15,777 | |
WSOPC Event #8: $400 Limit Omaha 8 | 93 | $30,690 | Shirley Rosario | Redondo Beach, CA | $9,193 | |
WSOPC Event #9: $400 No-Limit Hold’em Monster Stack | 696 | $229,680 | Albert Tapia | Anaheim, CA | $40,950 | |
WSOPC Event #10: $400 H.O.R.S.E. | 60 | $20,130 | Ari Engel | Las Vegas, NV | $6,647 | |
WSOPC Event #11: $400 Pot-Limit Big O | 61 | $20,130 | Ari Engel | Las Vegas, NV | $6,564 | |
WSOPC Event #12: $1,125 No-Limit Hold’em | 105 | $105,000 | Albert Gorelik | San Francisco, CA | $30,004 | |
WSOPC Event #13: $1,125 Pot-Limit Omaha | 65 | $66,000 | Daniel Lowery | Charleston, AR | $21,518 | |
WSOPC Event #14: $1,700 Main Event | 616 | $933,240 | Michael Persky | Novato, CA | $175,595 | |
WSOPC Event #15: $400 Stud 8 / Omaha 8 | 57 | $18,810 | Allen Kessler | Las Vegas, NV | $6,314 | |
WSOPC Event #16: $600 No-Limit Hold’em | 119 | $61,285 | Aaron Motoyama | Monterey Park, CA | $17,063 | |
WSOPC Event #17: $400 No-Limit Hold’em | 287 | $94,710 | Eli McCargar | N/A | $12,700 | |
WSOPC Event #18: $3,250 High Roller | 62 | $186,000 | Taylor Pollard | Concord, CA | $60,641 | |
WSOPC Event #19: $250 Seniors Event | 252 | $50,400 | Francois Bertrand | San Jose, CA | $11,390 | |
WSOPC Event #20: $400 The Bay Area Closer | 151 | $49,830 | Kaidi Yan | San Francisco, CA | $12,949 |
*Photos courtesy of Hayley Hochstetler and 8131 Media